Reality Ravings

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

A surprise appearance by Lionel Richie and an outdoor concert featuring the
Divinyls wasn't enough to save Australian Idol on Sunday night - the talent
quest's grand final suffered its worst ratings result ever. The showdown between
Sydney teenager Matt Corby and the 2007 competition's unlikely winner,
Melbourne's Natalie Gauci, averaged just over 1.4 million viewers, well short of
the 2 million Channel Ten was hoping for and 400,000 fewer than the previously
worst performing class of 2005. After two bumper years in 2003 and 2004
Australian Idol ratings slumped in 2005, the year Ian Dickson defected to
Channel Seven and was replaced by radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands. In 2006 a
reinvigorated program, which was inspired by contestants such as Bobby Flynn,
Lisa Mitchell and the winner, Damien Leith , making a worldwide Idol first by
performing original material with musical instruments, helped end the season
with a bang. This year, despite controversies such as the return of Dicko to
form a four-person judging panel, the program has struggled in the ratings. In
the US the show has gone from strength to strength, with a record 74 million
votes cast on final night alone in season six.

The Farmer Wants a Wife on Channel 9 is nearly rating that, with a high of 1.3 million viewers. It will be interesting to see what the Australian Idol producers do to the format to try and invigorate the show for next season.

American Idol after poor ratings this year, will for the first time be allowing the contestants to use instruments on the show like Australian Idol.

I think the bottom line is have the talent and you will attract the viewers.